


New Beginnings

by The_Fiercest_Vulpine



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: F/M, Gen, mutual breakup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 15:24:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13079772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Fiercest_Vulpine/pseuds/The_Fiercest_Vulpine
Summary: This revolves around Robin and Starfire mutually breaking up.I KNOW a lot of people won't like that, so if you're one of those people and you know you can't be mature or respectful, please don't read or comment.You're not obligated to look at it if you don't like it.This is the first part of four chapters, which becomes RobRae by the end.So if you do read, please enjoy!





	1. ''Best Friends''

It was a usual spot for them, the top of Titans Tower.  
Robin and Starfire sat side by side with their legs hanging over the edge.  
They'd been dating for about five months, and everything was great.  
They'd kissed a few times, they held hands, they sight-saw together, shared space they hadn't shared before.  
All in all it was lovely.  
Just lovely, though; that was all it ever was.  
They didn't ever really argue, but they never seemed to get anywhere further, either.  
It didn't feel...serious.  
They'd tried different things, but could never push past the feelings they'd forever had toward one another; friendship.  
Good, unbreakable friendship.  
They both felt it, even though they never said it out loud.  
But did they really need to?  
They knew, and they knew that the other knew.  
Things had been growing stale, un-moving, unable to revive.  
Neither wanted to say it, obviously, because it had taken them so long to get here.  
Months and months of crushing, subtle flirting and wondering, then a dramatic time leaning up to their first kiss.  
They'd achieved everything they'd wanted, or so they had at the time.  
But now that they had it, they had come to realize that there was more they wanted.  
And as sad as it seemed, they both knew deep down that they wouldn't find it in one another.  
Each sat with their hearts sinking in contrast to the rising sun.  
Today was going to be the day that someone finally spoke up.

"Another beautiful morning.  
You know, I never get tired of these."

"Yes, earth's sunrise is most radiant, even with the least impressive of colors."

Her voice was as tender as always, but carried that signature sadness it always did when her heart was heavy.  
Robin heard it -- he felt it, really.  
He looked down at their hands, side by side.  
His instinct was to intertwine their pinkies or lay his hand on top of hers, but an unseen force prevented him from doing it, a force from inside of him.  
There was a long silence between them before anyone dared to speak up.

"Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"...Where is our relationship going?"

Starfire looked at him before he returned her gaze.  
When he finally he did, he found himself completely lost in her bright green eyes.  
Again there was a long silence, the weight of the question hanging like a vapor over their heads.  
Robin's eventual response was as quiet as hers.

"I...  
I'm not...sure..."

Starfire grew a little more bold, turning her person toward him.

"Because -- everything is good, and I love when we are together and do the kissing, but--"

"It's not enough?"

Starfire sank a little, then looked away sadly.

"It is...not..."

"I know..."

"Mm -- perhaps there is something we are doing wrong.  
Perhaps we have not done enough kissing, or hugging, or the other traditional male and female relationship rituals, or--"

"Starfire."

Again she looked to him, but he was the one looking off now.  
His face was its typical, serious look, but there was an air about him that sank Starfire's hopes further.

"Robin..."

He tilted his head more toward her, but still did not make eye contact.

"How long have you been feeling this way?"

"Only a short while, but...  
I thought I was being foolish..."

She started to play with her hair, quickly strumming her fingers over a fiery red lock nervously.  
With that question, she began to wonder if she was truly the only one who felt this way.  
It made her sick to her stomach, it made her feel so guilty, but Robin's next words helped eased her a little.

"You're not alone, Star."

"I am not?"

"No.  
I've...been thinking the same thing.  
When we started dating, I thought everything was just going to fall right into place and feel perfect.  
And at first it did, but as it went on, I started to feel like it was becoming...stagnant, or like there was some sort of...pressure, like an expectation of sorts.  
God, that sounds -- just -- that sounds terrible, I'm sorry..."

He planted the side of his face in his left hand, feeling like total garbage.  
Did he just tell her she was a "pressure" on him?  
That certainly wasn't what he meant, but she'd misunderstood him before.  
Thankfully, however, it would appear she understood this time.

"No!  
That is exactly what it is like!  
But we can...fix it?"

"...Can we...?"

And once more, the silence, and the weight of the question.  
Starfire wanted to be optimistic -- she was always optimistic, always hopeful, always pushing toward the happy ending, but as she racked her brain for the answer, she found none came to her.  
She loved Robin, she loved him so much, but it wasn't the right kind.  
It was the love that would drive her to die for him, to do anything for him, but it wasn't the kind of love that enabled her to see herself starting a life with him.  
She couldn't even fathom being intimate with Robin, which was heart breaking in and of itself.  
She'd tried so many times to see it, but it was never there.  
Like Robin, she'd hoped every chip would fall into place, that every hole would be filled, that all the emptiness would pass, but it didn't.  
If it hadn't by then, there was no chance for it to ever show.  
Thinking this through, her stomach lurched again, and this time her eyes burned as tears filled them.  
Robin's expression only softened.

"I think you know the answer."

" I d-o...but I do not wish to say it..."

She looked down, closing her eyes tight with a strong effort to keep the tears back.  
They might have been stagnant in their relationship, but never the less, it broke Robin's heart to see her cry.  
He scooted closer to her side, and finally laid his hand over hers.

"Star.  
Hey..."

"Wh-at," she choked out, never looking up.

Again Robin took in a soft breath, and spoke in a tender tone.  
It was clear he was sad, too, but as always, he had hope.

"You and I, we've...been through a lot together.  
Like I said, when we started seeing each other, I thought it would be perfect.  
You're...my best friend, and even though it's only been a couple years, I feel like I've known you a lot longer.  
I feel like we grew up together, and I really like that."

He started to smile, his voice uplifting by an inch.  
But Starfire seemed to grow only more distressed, sadness overwhelming her.  
When she looked up with tears rolling down her cheeks, Robin's smile instantly fled.

"I like th-at, too," she said with a sniffle.  
"S-o why will this not work?"

Now, Robin looked very sad.

"Some things just don't, Star.  
I wish they did.  
If I could make it perfect, if I could make it all feel the way it was supposed to feel, I'd do it in a heartbeat.  
But I've been going over it for...I think about as long as you have, and...I don't have what it takes.  
I don't think either of us do..."

Starfire brought a hand up to her face, the back of said hand to her cheek, fingers curling in while her eyes squeezed shut tight again.  
No amount of alien strength could ever hold back the raw emotion.  
She didn't want to cry in front of him, she didn't want to be so broken up about it, but it was ending.  
Everything suddenly just became so sad, she now feared she could lose Robin all together.  
For a moment, as sad as she appeared, Robin began to wonder if he had been too bold with his statement, or if maybe she wasn't quite ready to break it off.  
Now he felt sick.  
Had he been too abrupt?  
Did he push her too quickly?  
After all this had felt right, he was certain she was on board.

"Starfire, I-I'm sorry.  
I never meant to --...maybe--"

"I have h-eard..."

She took a second to pull herself together and wipe some of her tears away before finishing.  
Robin was more than attentive, ready and willing to do whatever she needed.

"I have heard, th-at when earth couples s-split up, they can no longer be friends.  
I do not want to lose my best friend...!"

Robin's eyes (in other words, his mask) grew wide with shock.

"What?  
No, no no no no!  
No, ha, hah, Starfire, no, that only happens to people who fight all the time before breaking up, or if...one of them was...abusive, or something along those lines."

Starfire weakly looked at him, still in tears and trying to keep them off her cheeks.

"S-o...if we cannot be a couple, we can s-still be friends?"

"Of course, Starfire."

He turned to her all the way and held her free hand, smiling sadly.  
God, she really was cute.

"Is that why you're crying?  
Because you thought we couldn't be friends if we broke up?"

She giggled pathetically even though she was still crying, but she nodded quickly, blushing slightly.  
Robin took her cheeks in his hands, stroking the tears away with his thumbs.

"A-nd then when I saw the future, when we drifted apart, I could not h-elp but wonder..."

Robin's voice was as low and comforting as Starfire had ever heard it.

"We'll never drift apart, I promise.  
As long as I live, and as long as you and everyone is in my life, I will never let that happen.  
Okay?  
You have to know that.  
You're my family, Star."

Still holding her face, his own heart panged with sadness, but the smile never left his expression.

"I l-ove you," she said meekly.

"I love you, too."

He leaned his forehead to hers while Starfire closed her eyes.  
She felt a little better, but the tears still fell, and she continued to sniffle.  
Robin took both of her hands and held them tight.

"I enjoy you as a boyfriend, but...I m-iss my best friend..."

"You know what?  
So do I, and that's something we can fix."

Starfire looked up at him, pulling her forehead away from his.

"Then...we are now...just friends?"

"If you're okay with that, yeah.  
No more pressure, no expectations.  
We can still do everything we've done, too."

"But...no more holding hands or k-issing, I assume?"

"Ummm...we probably shouldn't, heh."

Starfire finally smiled.

"I did not think so.  
Can we...still hug?"

"Well yeah, friends hug.  
Basically, everything's just going back to the way it was before...this, but maybe it'll be easier now.  
Now that we know we're better as friends, it...am I making sense?"

"Mhmhm!  
You are...  
Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"May we hug right now?"

"Yeah, we can hug now."

He chuckled softly as they embraced.  
It was a deep, warm hug laced with love.  
They sat and just held each other, feeling a sense of peace and even some relief.  
Even Robin had to swallow a wad of emotion in his throat.  
It was bittersweet, it hurt and it was sad but at the same time, it had given them so much.  
They would always be that much closer because of this, and he had a feeling that there were better matches for one another out there somewhere.  
But he wasn't worried about that just yet -- all he cared about was easing both his own and Starfire's mind.

"I am...relieved, but still...sad."

"It's a sad situation...but it'll get better."

"I know," she replied with a sniffle.

They remained hugging for another minute or two, and finished it with Robin rubbing her back.  
When they pulled apart and looked at each other, Starfire's tears had almost cleared up.  
She wiped her eyes one more time.

"Would it be wise to inform our friends?"

"Yeah, I think so, but it doesn't have to be right now.  
Maybe tonight around dinner.  
What do you think?"

"I think that would be good."

"Good."

They both smiled and nodded to each other.  
Starfire stood and offered her hand to Robin, who gently took it and stood with her.

"I think I would like to go into town for a little while, just to...clear my mind."

"Hey, sounds nice.  
I've got a few things to take care of myself."

"Very well.  
I will see you later then, best friend Robin!"

With glee this time, Starfire hovered up and gave Robin a quicker, stronger hug.  
He had to lean back a bit as the air was briefly crushed out of his lungs, but he hugged back with one arm nonetheless.

"Hahah, see ya."

She flew back, smiled and waved to him, and flew off across the water on her way into the city.  
Watching her go, Robin smiled to himself.  
Everything was going to be just fine.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

Afternoon fell upon this side of the world.  
Robin suggested dinner, but when he saw Starfire again they agreed now was a good time to go ahead and tell the others about their decision.  
Cyborg and Beast Boy were in the living room, playing video games while Raven sat to the side on the couch, reading a book as usual.  
The ex-couple walked in, hand in hand, to the side of the couch.

"Hey guys.  
Can we talk to you for a minute?"

"Just a sec, I'm totally about to kick Cy's butt!" honked Beast Boy.

"Yeah right!  
I ain't got a scratch on me, and you're at half health!"

"That's why I'm gonna take my victory at the last second!"

Robin was already tired of the banter, not appreciating being put off.

"This is a little more important than that."

"Please, friends, we wish to impart news to you," Starfire said calmly.

The boys scrambled to finish their match, but Raven interrupted them by telekinetically taking their controllers and whirling them to the floor in front of the tv.

"Ey, come on, man!" Cyborg protested.

"It can wait," Raven said drily.

Robin looked pleased, and even more so when Beast Boy reluctantly turned the television off.

"Thank you, Raven."

Robin and Starfire moved in front of the tv so everyone could see and hear them clearly.  
They never let go of one another's hands.  
Raven bookmarked her page and laid the book aside, devoting her attention to them.

"Okay, so...Starfire and I have been together for a while now.  
And today, we sort of had a talk."

"Yes, it was most enlightening."

Cyborg wore a mischievous grin, unable to resist interrupting.

"Aw yeah?  
Ya'll finally thinking about gettin' hitched?"

Starfire blinked, clueless, while Robin's look of concentration began to sour.

"No."

Beast Boy sprang forward.

"OOH!  
Are you moving into the same room?"

"No!"

"Aw come on, it'd be easy!  
A little remodeling, and then I could finally have a spare room for my stuff!"

Cyborg jumped in.

"What?  
Man, the last thing you need is more space for your junk."

"You don't know what kind of stuff I have!"

"I know most of it's junk."

Starfire looked at Raven as to seek help, to which Raven looked at her and shook her head, irritated.  
Robin was straining himself not to slap them at this point.

"GUYS!  
No one is getting married and no one is moving in together!"

They stared at him for a while.

"...Dang, sorry..."

Robin sighed and drew a hand down the side of his face before pulling himself back together, calming down.

"Starfire and I...broke up this morning."

"WHAT?!" Beast Boy screamed.

Cyborg leaned forward in shock while Raven's eyes widened.  
Meanwhile, Beast Boy was freaking out.

"You broke UP?!"

"Yes," Starfire answered.  
"We no longer wish to do the kissing or the dating."

"Aw man, what happened?"

"Nothing happened, really.  
We just --"

Beast Boy stood in his seat on the couch, his yappy voice filling all the space in the room with the wholeness of his panicking.

"NOOO!  
You split up?!  
You can't split up!  
You're Robin and Starfire!  
You're RobStar!"

"Jesus," Robin uttered while his face fell back into his hand.

"So what, it's over??  
Are we gonna have to pick sides?!" he exclaimed while pulling on his hair.  
"I can't choose between the two of you!"

"Beast Boy--"

"We're gonna have to divide the tower!  
Who's gonna get custody of ME?!"

Raven glared at him.

"Custody?  
You're not five, Beast Boy."

"It doesn't matter -- it's all overrr, nooohohooo!"

"YO, will ya let 'em finish?!"

With fake streams of comical tears, Beast Boy sank sadly back into the couch, shivering with dread and a long groan.

"Listen, guys...  
Nothing went wrong.  
It was mutual."

"So then, why?" Raven asked softly.

At that, Robin and Starfire looked at each other, then back at them.

"Well, it just...kind of felt like it wasn't going anywhere."

"Yes, we felt that there was...pressure."

"And expectations.  
We spent so much time wanting to be together, when it finally happened we thought we had everything we wanted, but it turns out we needed more."

"And, we did not have what the other needed."

Robin smiled.

"So we decided to just be friends, again."

Beast Boy sat up slowly, hope filling his big, shiny eyes.

"So...everything's okay?  
No one's mad at anyone?"

Starfire smiled this time, too.

"There are none of the hard feelings."

It was clear that everyone was stunned and a little sad, but gradually a sort of surreal acceptance began to settle over them.

"Sometimes that's the wise thing to do," Raven said gently.

"We thought so."

Again they looked at each other, smiling.  
They squeezed each other's hands one more time, then gently let go.

"I'm glad it's all good.  
Still sorry it didn't work out, though," said Cyborg.

"Yeah, um...is stuff gonna be weird now?" asked the shape shifter.

"Why would it be weird?  
We're all friends, everything's fine."

"Yes, life must go on.  
Oh!  
Which reminds me!  
I have found today that there is a festival in town with rides, games, and lots of disgusting food involving insects covered in chocolate!"

Cyborg's eye sparkled.

"NASTY, count me in!"

They all got up and made their way out, off to town to see this passing carnival before it moved out.  
In spite of the bittersweet morning, Robin and Starfire were more than able and willing to go on living happily, as friends.  
Best friends.


	2. ''Too Many Feelings''

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay this hints to impending RobRae and also portrays Starfire and Robin as just friends.  
> If you don't like it, don't look at it!  
> If you do read it and you are a mature person, thank you!

It was ironic.  
Painfully ironic.  
It had been five months since Robin and Starfire broke up, which was the same amount of time they had spent dating.  
The ironic part was that Robin had already begun to take interest in someone else -- someone very close.  
Starfire was close to him, but this person was different.  
She really knew him.  
In some ways, it made Robin's skin crawl; she knew him so eerily well, but then it thrilled him.  
It thrilled him, thinking about how she could read his mind sometimes, how she sometimes knew what he wanted before he said it.  
It was a chill that seeped into his bones.  
He knew her pretty well, too.  
Better than anyone else did, as a matter of fact, but regardless, in his mind it was still too soon for him to be interested in someone else.  
Of course, that rule only applies to people who've just been out of serious relationships who may be still hurting for their previous partner, but Robin hadn't needed to grieve much.  
His girlfriend was his best friend, and they chose to stop dating on equal terms.  
Now, they're better friends than ever and they're happier this way.  
So he should've been fine, right?  
Right...except that the girl he was interested in now was Starfire's closest female companion, and lived under the same roof.  
Oh that painful, burning, clenching irony that Robin so dearly wished would just go jump off a cliff.

It'd been on his mind a lot lately.  
The more he took interest in her the more he questioned himself, and the more he questioned himself the more enthralling she appeared.  
It was a back and forth that was steadily growing, as it had been over the course of a couple weeks.  
He'd tried everything to make it stop, with straight up denial being the most persistently used tactic.  
"You don't really like her like that," he told himself.  
"It's not right, she's the only other girl here," he thought.  
"Maybe I'm just reeling and I don't even know it," he pondered.  
But as the days went by, as each encounter started to feel more than like it ever should have, the doubts crept in with thickness.  
Had he just not noticed her because he was crushing on Starfire?  
Was he that blinded by puppy love?  
After all, Robin and Raven had had some very deep conversations and personal moments.  
For starters, she'd been inside his mind, and they had a bond.  
They understood each other, they rolled off of each other with a smoothness akin to water rolling off a feather.  
Sometimes when he was restless and couldn't sleep, he'd go into the kitchen to find Raven was already there, sipping tea and contemplating.  
She would invite him over and they would talk about things they'd been through -- personal things that the others didn't know about.  
One night they got into it for so long, they accidentally stayed up until sunrise.  
It was smooth, it was easy.  
He had always highly valued her opinion, felt very protective of her, and respected her more than anyone.  
Were those the signs?  
Was it subtle, but once more, blinded out by his feelings for Starfire?  
He didn't regret that relationship in the slightest.  
If anything, he was grateful for it, but everything was starting to become very surreal.  
He found himself looking back on everything, and wondering.  
Now, it wasn't as if he was a total wreck around her.  
He kept his head on straight at almost all times, fought beside her as always, and usually managed to be in complete control when they talked one on one...  
Usually.  
The worst that happened when he was more shaken up about it was that sometimes he would lose track of his words, or felt nervous.  
Especially when she looked him dead on.  
He could swear he almost had an outer body experience one time when she looked him straight in the eye, and wondered if that too, pointed to his sudden infatuation.  
...All right, so he had a crush on Raven.  
It was happening.  
Now here was another suggestion...  
Was he losing his mind?  
What a nightmare.  
Worse than feeling and thinking all of this, was that he had no way of knowing how she felt.  
If she'd liked him before now or was ever beginning to feel feelings for him, she sure did a flawless job hiding it.  
That was because she lived behind a constant mask, swallowing every feeling and drowning it deep in her heart.  
He knew why she had to, but in this particular situation it was proving to be a little frustrating.  
What was he going to do?  
Who could he even talk to about this?  
He was isolated in his own unending self-interrogation, marooned on an island in his own head.  
And there was no land in sight.

It was noon.  
Cyborg was running disk cleanups and checking for bugs on the main computer in the living room.  
Beast Boy was thumbing through a pile of magazines advertising mopeds; it was basically his porn.  
Starfire flew in gleefully, excitedly showing off a new trick she'd learned.

"Friend Beast Boy!  
You must see this whimsical toy of paper!"

Beast Boy looked up from his read brightly, ears perking.

"Watcha got?"

"This!"

In her hands she held a little origami swan, each crease folded with precision and neatness.

"That's awesome, Star!"

"Thank you!  
Would you like to do the origami with me?"

"Uhh, I would, but the last time I tried to make one of those I kind of...ended up making an origami turd instead..."

He smiled sheepishly as pointy ears flattened.  
Starfire giggled.

"Very well.  
Perhaps Robin would like to craft with me."

Speaking of whom, Robin was off to the side, sitting on the edge of one of the yellow tables while thumbing through papers.  
He was fixated on a case involving Mumbo Jumbo's repeat escapes from prison, and wondering if he should try to request a new location for him.  
But, jubilant as always, the alien hovered over to him eagerly, displaying her creation.

"Robin, I have learned how to make earth animal shapes out of paper.  
Please, will you join me in making more?"

She smiled with glittering hope in her eyes.  
Robin looked up from his papers, remaining casual, but friendly.

"Sorry, Starfire, I've got a lot riding on this case, it's kind of important.  
Did you ask Beast Boy?"

Starfire lowered to her feet, appearing to shrink slightly while still cradling the paper bird.

"I did, but he also said no.  
He said he once tried to do origami, but instead he made, a, uh...turd...?"

Robin raised a brow, surprised but yet also not surprised.  
He actually couldn't resist chuckling, but his smile crawled back away all too soon.

"Sounds about right.  
I really am sorry.  
Maybe next time."

Starfire sighed quietly, but smiled and nodded, respecting him.  
She flew to the other side of the room, leaving him to his peace while gathering more paper.  
In the next couple of minutes, she raced off to get her origami book and returned.  
In that time, not much had changed.  
Eventually, however, Raven came through the door.  
No sooner than the doors closed behind her did Starfire whisk up to her, the force from her sudden flight blowing a couple of papers away from her station.

"Friend Raven!  
Would you like to make little origami animals with me?"

As big as her eyes grew and as full of hope as they became, unfortunately it was not enough to convince the other female to play.

"Um...I'm kind of busy.  
Maybe later."

With another resounding sigh, Starfire flew back over to her little area and resumed her attempts at making a new animal.  
Raven, meanwhile, approached Robin with the same stoic and relaxed air she always carried.

"Robin."

His heart throbbed just once, but on the outside no one would never know anything was wrong.  
Coolly he looked up, veiled eyes bouncing around Raven's image quickly.

"What's up?"

"Have you gotten anywhere with Mumbo Jumbo?"

Robin sighed and lined papers up behind one another several times over.

"A little.  
Half of the guards have theories about how he's getting out, but then the other half are just flat-out clueless.  
I'm thinking it would be best to just have him relocated to the facility on the far end of the city, but if he gets out again and goes outside the jurisdiction that could cause problems."

"We bring criminals to justice, Robin, we don't enforce the law."

"Nhh...  
It'd still be a stretch, though..."

Raven studied him briefly with an unreadable expression, then gently gripped the papers and took them away from him.  
The closeness they'd shared in that brief second caused the skin on the back of Robin's neck to go tingly hot.

"Someone really almost got hurt last time.  
We can talk to JCPD on the far side facility, see what they think."

Starting to overhear their talking, Starfire looked up from her origami.  
She listened, and watched, now.  
Robin looked off, thinking while simultaneously trying not to let his mild butterflies show.  
Or fly right out of his mouth, whichever threatened to come first.

"Yeah...  
I think that's what we're going to have to do, because this has been going on for weeks and it's getting nowhere.  
Last time was too close."

Raven nodded, then walked to the side of him.  
She organized the papers, then stood them upright on the table and stacked them neatly.  
With her oblivious, Robin took the moment to observe her.  
She had such nimble, elegant fingers.  
He wasn't sure if Raven realized it, but it seemed as though every move she made was graceful and effortless.  
She seldom had faulted motions.  
It seemed as if each time they had spoken recently, he would take into account a different feature of hers.  
The other evening, it was how soft and layered her hair looked.  
Yesterday, her strikingly abnormal eye color and that cute, girlish little nose.  
It reminded him of when Mumbo Jumbo had turned her into a bunny.  
Oh look, more irony.  
He was lost in thought in those few seconds, so when Raven looked back up at him and broke his miniature trance, it scared the living hell out of him.  
He jumped, his face pinkening and a chilling hot streak running through the blood in each of his arms.  
Raven looked surprised herself, but only because of how startled he was.  
She could easily feel his energy shift.

"What?" she asked with a raised brow.

"What??  
I...  
Nothing, sorry, I was just..."

He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand nervously, then cleared his throat.

"I was lost in thought for a second there.  
Sorry about that..."

Raven narrowed her eyes just a slight, studying him.  
God, it felt like her gaze was burning into his soul.  
Superman's heat vision was starting to look small by comparison to this sensation -- he was practically cooking alive beneath the skin.  
His palms started to sweat in his gloves and he had the urge to tap his foot to try and channel the tension somewhere, but he held himself together, if one didn't count the rattled look on his face.  
Finally Raven retreated, relaxing, or so it appeared.

"You've been awfully devoted to this.  
You know if you give yourself a break, it'll make more sense later.  
Go outside for a while, get some fresh air."

Robin nodded, drawing in a quick breath.  
His nerves were just about shot.

"Yeah, yeah that doesn't sound like a bad idea.  
Thanks."

Raven nodded to him, though as she turned she eyed him a second longer, visibly suspicious but not willing to ask questions.  
For all she knew, he was just exhausted and becoming squirrely.  
When she left the room, Robin sighed quietly and rubbed his fingers and thumbs together, wanting to take off his gloves to air out his hands, and then he looked up.  
Through his mask, his gaze locked with emerald green, explosively beaming eyes.  
Robin froze; she'd seen everything, and she looked like she had something to say about it.  
Aw crap.  
He swallowed subtly and tried to play it off, hoping maybe it was something else -- anything else.

"Um...so...what's-- AH!"

Before he could finish, Starfire jetted across the room and grabbed his wrist, squealing excitedly while dragging him out of the room.  
They shot down the hallway and to her room, where she flung Robin in and quickly shut the door.  
The boy stumbled about dizzily for a moment, getting his bearings back.

"Ugh -- Starfire, what are you--"

"You like Raven!"

"NUHHH!"

He leaped up and flailed his arms in her face as a frantic gesture to silence the alien.  
She jerked back, then covered her mouth with her hands.  
Their next few sentences passed back and forth were much quieter.

"Oh, I am sorry, I will be more quiet."

Robin was panicking.

"Like her?  
What do you mean?  
What makes you think that??"

Starfire saw he was having a mini mental breakdown, but she remained calm and happy, and even cheerful.

"Oh, well, I saw you two talking, and you appeared to have what Cyborg calls, the jitters.  
Before we dated, you jittered when we talked sometimes.  
Also, your face changed colors and you were very jumpy.  
You have been a little...off around her lately, so I only assume--"

"S-Starfire," he uttered nervously.

She maintained her innocent-natured calmness.

"Yes?"

"............................."

"Robin?"

With a deep inhale and another long breath, he looked off, much calmer now, but somewhat sad.

"I don't...I don't know what it is..."

"It is the result of endorphins released when--"

"NO, no I mean...I don't know why..."

"I do not understand," she said softly.

Robin became flustered, stammering momentarily.

"I -- mhh, uh--  
...Can we sit down?"

They made their way over to Starfire's bed and sat.  
Robin leaned forward, a look of defeat crawling upon him.

"It's been like this for a couple of weeks, now.  
Slowly, but...I'm not sure why it's happening."

"Is it, because she is pretty?"

Robin just looked at her, lost.  
Why was she so cute?

"Some of it's physical, but...some of it's not.  
I've just been thinking about so much, and how meaningful our conversations always are...  
And then it's just complicated.  
Part of me thinks it's real, but part of me thinks, maybe...I think maybe I'm just being stupid.  
Did I just never pay attention in the past because I had you?  
Or am I...am I...vulnerable, and just gravitating toward another person.  
God--"

He laid down on his back on the bed, bringing his hands up to his face and covering his masked eyes.

"Like, is this some kind of sickness?  
Am I just doomed to be drawn to girls I know who aren't...like sisters to me?  
I mean what if, heaven forbid, this actually went somewhere.  
Would it go down like..."

He paused, then pulled his hands away.  
When he glanced up, he saw Starfire looking back at him.  
She was tender in nature, and incredibly empathetic.

"Like we did?"

Robin stared at her for a minute, then pulled himself back up and turned to face her.

"I think that's the worst part.  
I think about you, and what we had, and I can't help but feel like me being...interested, in Raven is somehow...almost like a betrayal to you."

"Robin, this is not a betrayal.  
Why would you think this?"

"I guess for the same reason you thought that when we broke up, there was a chance we couldn't be friends; because of courtesy.  
You and Raven, I mean...you two...the three of us are pretty close.  
I worry that by feeling like this, or if in some crazy universe she and I started seeing each other, it would...hurt your feelings.  
I don't want to do that..."

It was clear by the brightening aura in Starfire that she was enlightened, finally understanding his plight, and ultimately why he was so confused.

"Well...if I were to start having a crush on Cyborg or Beast Boy, would it hurt your feelings?"

Robin looked at her, contemplating this for a good while.  
At first, the idea stung him a little, but as the idea settled in he realized he loved his guy friends and he loved Starfire, and in the long run all he wants is for them to be happy.  
Envisioning that, how could there be any hard feelings toward anybody?

"N...No...  
As long as...you would be happy..."

"Then that is how I feel.  
You and I did not succeed in dating, so that only means that we each may find someone that we can succeed with.  
If you and Raven were to succeed, that would also make me very happy.

At times it surprised Robin, how wise Starfire could be.  
She truly was his best friend, and thanks to this he now had someone to talk to about it.  
Not to mention, with Starfire being the character that she was, he knew she would be excited to hear anything regarding this.  
He finally smiled, and it lasted considerably longer than the last one.

"Thanks, Star.  
Just promise me if something were to ever upset you, you'd tell me."

"I promise."

She returned his smile proudly.  
Seconds later, Robin looked off again, settling in.

"The other thing that really sucks about this is that...I have no idea what she thinks or feels.  
I know she does that on purpose, she has to, but what if I'm the only one feeling like this?  
For all I know, to her, I hardly exist outside of the relationship we've always had."

"Hmmm...  
Raven and I do much of the hanging out, but even still, I often am not sure what she is thinking, or how she is feeling.  
Even when I know she is most happy, it is...rather hard to tell."

Starfire suddenly became a little excited.

"Perhaps I can attempt to reveal her feelings on the subject!"

Robin, on the other hand, became alarmed.

"Uh!  
Starfire, no, I -- I appreciate it, but I'm not gonna ask you to...do that..."

"But you did not ask, I volunteered!"

Robin rolled his neck and exhaled tiredly.

"Can't deny that, I guess...  
Okay, I'm not going to say no, but I'm also not going to ask for you to do this.  
Just...promise me you won't say anything, or hint at it?  
Please don't just flat out ask her what she thinks about me, or...something...  
And please, for the love of earth, don't tell the guys...or literally ANYONE."

"Hmhmhm!  
Our discussion of your newfound fondness is confidential, I shall not say a word."

Robin hunched slightly, relieved.

"Thank you...  
You know, having someone to talk to about this really helped a lot.  
Keeping it to myself was driving me crazy."

"I understand.  
Oh, and Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"Please, do not try to force yourself to feel one way or another.  
As Raven often tells me, if it is felt, it must flow."

"Hah...wise words.  
That's our Raven."

Again they exchanged smiles, each as content as the other.  
Of course, Robin was still aching on the inside and dying to unravel the mystery intertwined in his emotions, but he had finally been subdued.  
Eventually, he and Starfire left her room and rejoined the others.  
For a little while longer, Robin would have to stew on the matter at hand.  
What he did not know yet, however, was that the one he had on his mind was quietly suffering the same way, on his behalf.


	3. ''Way Too Complicated''

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven's POV this time.  
> I'm sure it feels like i'm repeating myself with all this relationship shipping stuff and trust me, i feel it too, but i have to fill in all the blanks for my sanity.  
> Once again, if ya don't like it, don't look at it!  
> P.S. Starfire is at the pinnacle of all this because she's perfect and an angel and i love her and i like her being on board with all of this.  
> She's everyone's best friend! XD  
> To the readers, enjoy and thank you!

Why.  
Why, she wondered.  
Of all the things to feel that weren't right, this was extremely not right.  
Raven was never interested in others.  
Sure, Malchior managed to slip his way into her heart, and then he broke it.  
She'd had a crush on Aqualad, but look at the guy -- he was a total babe!  
Still, even she knew that would never happen, and her attraction to him was purely physical and very puppyish.  
But this?  
No way, not in a million years.  
It couldn't be done, it couldn't work, and he couldn't possibly feel anything toward her, either.  
To feel this way was the epitome of hopeless longing.  
And then the burning question; why was she feeling this way for him?  
It was hard for her to look inside and pinpoint where it came from or the cause of it, considering she was constantly pushing her emotions down.  
But why him?  
Was it because he was...available?  
For so long, he'd been interested in Starfire.  
She knew that -- everybody knew that, and everyone waited for them to be together.  
When that finally happened, everyone was happy for them, herself included.  
Then, surprisingly, they broke up, and now the past few weeks, Raven felt herself paying more attention to Robin.  
Could availability really be the reason?  
Minus when he was with Terra, Beast Boy was always available, and so was Cyborg.  
Oh...God, no, the idea of being involved with either one of them made her feel sick, especially Beast Boy.  
So it couldn't be availability, because she had options.  
It would have to be that she was just genuinely attracted to him.  
Suffice it to say, perhaps she was just now noticing him because of his availability.  
After all, they were very close, and he was not a bad looking young man.  
Slender but fit, very good looking in the face, sharp, and she also found his mind very attractive.  
He was intelligent, focused, but capable of thinking and feeling deeply.  
Most attractive yet, he understood her inside and out.  
Whenever she needed someone to confide in, Robin was there.  
When she was afraid, Robin made it better.  
He gave her hope.  
She felt safe around him, almost free.  
Almost.  
If her just noticing him because he was single and not visibly interested in anyone else was the case, she was thankful, then, that she hadn't cared before now.  
Thankful as she was, doubt and failed hopes hung over her at all times.  
"It'll never be," she thought.  
"If it wasn't there before, it can't be here now," she assumed.  
"I'm invisible," she felt.  
Of course, even with all these doubts and sad realizations, she couldn't blame him.  
She was the one feeling this way, and it was ridiculous.  
Besides, even if he was interested and by the grace of God, they started to actually date, how could she do that to Starfire?  
To date her best girl friend's ex boyfriend was just plain rude, and highly unethical!  
The last time Raven was this upset at herself, it was before she became the portal.  
Feeling that, she knew it was serious if she felt that strongly.  
Raven kept everything to herself, as usual.  
She had always been the secretive type, feeling most safe when she kept her thoughts to herself, but knowing these feelings toward Robin were so real, she felt like a traitor to her best friend.  
She felt guilty, and for the first time ever she just wanted to tell someone.  
She'd already tried writing it down on a piece of paper and lighting it on fire, which was fun enough, but failed to give her the relief she sought.  
Every time she and Robin talked one on one her chest and ears felt hot, and her heart would pick up the pace.  
She never ever let that be visible or hinder how she reacted to him; for all he knew, she was the same at all times.  
Never nervous, never considering anything out of the ordinary.  
...Then again, he was the one to figure out that when she wouldn't admit to her fears, it found its own way out.  
Damn, he knew her so well.  
He was the adopted son of the world's greatest detective, surely he was capable of figuring her out again.  
The very idea gave her anxiety.  
She considered trying to stay away from him, but the harder she tried the more she found herself wanting to be out and near him.  
Finding the balance between not hiding from her friends too much, and not spending too much time around them was difficult.  
She was literally trying to be her normal self for the first time ever, when her whole life she's always just been herself.  
All right, as an empath, she had to say it; feelings were way too complicated.  
Roll credits.  
It had been roughly two weeks since Starfire and Robin's talk about how he was interested in Raven.  
Throughout all this time, she'd been too busy suppressing her own feelings to try and pick up on his, which was certainly a disadvantage.  
Still, Starfire had maintained her promise to the boy by not breathing a word to anyone about his infatuation, including the subject herself.  
Surprisingly, she'd done well enough that Raven hadn't managed to detect that she was even keeping secrets.  
Of course, she had her own problems, not to mention feeling guilty when she and Starfire hung out.  
The last time they were alone together, she just wanted to scream it all out and fly off, but as she'd always done, she held it in, and drowned it.  
She felt like she was drowning, swamped by the burning, growing guilt.  
The last time she tried so hard to fight a feeling off, once again, it came out on its own.  
If she kept suppressing this, would it hurt someone?  
Would it hurt Starfire?  
Maybe it would be best to take control, and tell her own on her own before it escaped and did it itself.  
That was the last thing she wanted.  
It was evening, and everyone had already eaten dinner.  
It was storming outside, with quite the downpour.  
Everyone opted to watch a movie, but Raven passed on it in exchange for some time to meditate.  
She didn't have to do that as frequently anymore now that Trigon was no longer a part of her, but she still needed to do it sometimes.  
The movie was most likely just about over, and Raven felt she had been lost in her meditation all night.  
It just felt good sometimes, and with her mind having been all over the place lately, it really helped her feel steady.  
Sometimes, mediation was the only ground she felt she had to stand on.  
She sighed and uncrossed her legs, letting them dangle over the edge of the bed.  
She rolled her shoulders a little, feeling a bit stiff from being in the same position for so long.  
In all honesty, part of the relief in meditating was getting to stretch afterward.  
She arched her back in, sitting up tall and reaching her arms up above her head at full extension; feeling the stiffness leave her body was pure ecstasy.  
No sooner than she had reeled from her stretch did she hear a knock at her door, and the all familiar and optimistic voice of the alien.

"Raven?  
It is me, may we talk?"

Starfire.  
Her expression never changing and her sinking heart never showing, Raven calmly walked to the door and opened it.

"Starfire.  
Is something wrong?"

"Um...I am not sure," Starfire retorted with a look of confusion.

Raven raised a brow, her lids falling a little.

"You're...not sure?"

"It is merely that Beast Boy has introduced a new word to me, and I am uncertain as to whether or not it is appro--"

"Oh God," said Raven, flatly.  
"Come in."

Starfire fluttered in like the lanky butterfly she was as Raven shut the door.

"Where are the guys, anyway?"

"Oh, the movie is over, so they are now experimenting with making strange foods."

Was it just her, or did it seem like everything was really weird and off tonight?

"...Strange foods?"

"Yes, from a most peculiar looking recipe book titled, 'Not-Food.' "

Nope, everything was perfectly normal.  
Raven remained as drawl as ever.

"Wow, I'm sure that'll be fun to clean up.  
All right, sit down."

Both girls walked over to Raven's bed and sat.  
Only as soon as her rear had touched the bed did Starfire figure she wanted to face Raven all the way, so she gleefully floated up and plopped back down, facing her as she desired with her legs crossed.  
Raven sat calmly, of course, and turned herself to face Starfire slightly.

"All right.  
What's this word Beast Boy taught you."

Starfire lowered her voice, eyes wide.

"If it is inappropriate or offensive, I must ask your forgiveness now, as I do not mean to offend."

"You're forgiven."

"Thank you.  
Okay, well...Cyborg said he was the best there was at fixing broken technology, and then Beast Boy told him to...  
Oh..."

She shrank in place, growing ever fearful of saying something that ought not to be said.

"Starfire, I already said I forgive you if it's bad.  
Just say it."

"O-okay.  
He said to stop.....hmbrgng..."

Raven's lids fell entirely to half mast at Starfire's muffled "bad word."

"With your mouth open, preferably."

"Mmm...  
Humblebragging!"

She gasped and covered her mouth quickly, leaning away.  
Raven stared at her for a long time with the same irritated and bored expression she'd had before the word was spoken.  
After a minute, that same sassy eyebrow she'd cocked earlier peaked again.

"...Humblebragging?"

"Yes," Starfire answered quickly with a nod.  
"It sounds reminiscent to a most distasteful word on Tamaran, but I was curious as to whether or not it was the same for earth..."

Sigh.

"...You're adorable," she said flatly as ever.

Starfire was confused.

"Um...thank you?"

"'Humblebrag' is a slang term.  
It means to boast about something while saying it in a humbled tone.  
In other words, pretending not to be full of yourself over something you're good at, such as what Cyborg must've done."

Starfire blinked at her, expression purely blank until Raven could almost physically see the light bulb in her head turn on.  
The redhead lit up, sitting tall again and regaining her confidence.

"Oh!  
Mhmhm!  
I see, most amusing!"

"Language barriers usually are, I suppose.  
Was that all you needed?"

"Mhm!  
But now that I am here, I find I wish to...hang out?" she asked sheepishly.

Raven's gaze was unreadable in the moments she took to decide.  
Through this entire conversation, she still felt the tremendous guilt weighing on her, and as Starfire so graciously asked to spend time with her, she could see no reason to turn her away.  
A small bit of lightning flashed outside, quick and distant, but visible in her wide bedside window.  
Distant thunder rolled.  
Raven looked to the large glass pane, thinking deeply.  
Starfire grew a little concerned in the silence.

"...Raven?"

It was the right thing to do.  
Raven looked back to her friend, and smiled ever so slightly.

"I don't see why not."

"EE!  
Thank you!  
So, you have finished meditating?"

"Yes.  
I...needed it, to say the least."

"But, do you not always need it?"

"Okay, I needed it more than usual."

"Oh!" Starfire giggled.  
"I see.  
What is new in the life of Raven?"

As though a bad feeling had never crossed her path, Starfire had reclaimed her jubilant disposition, and showed nothing but ardent fascination in Raven's daily life.  
It had taken the hybrid woman a long time to learn to appreciate someone taking interest in her, but now that she understood and did appreciate it, she always answered without hesitation.

"Not much.  
I just ordered a new book from that store I like out of town, but it won't be here until tomorrow or so.  
What about you?"

"Oh!  
Well as you know, just recently, we watched a movie.  
It was a comedy film featuring the humorous Kevin Hart and the one they call, The Rock!"

Raven managed another small smile, happy just to see her happy.

"Sounds like a good time.  
I'll try not to miss the next one."

As she finished her sentence, there was a misplaced sadness that lingered over her.  
Starfire, loving all her friends so dearly, was quick to see Raven was a tad out of sorts.  
She'd noticed this off and on the last few times they were together, but stayed quiet before now.

"Excellent!  
Um...  
Raven?"

Raven looked at her.

"What is it?"

"Forgive me, but I have noticed you seem more...melancholy than usual.  
You are always quite withdrawn, but lately you have appeared...almost sad.  
Is something the matter?"

Withdrawn?  
Nice.  
She wasn't wrong, thus Raven's facial response to that was a look mixed with amusement and a touch of almost-insult.  
But it soon faded as the sadness settled back in, and she felt her heart flutter -- in the bad way.  
She the her anxiety starting to rise from in her stomach, and though she worked to keep it under control, it did cause her breathing to increase a tad.  
How could she not be anxious?  
She had this doom-infused feeling that the truth was soon about to come out, but deep down she really wanted that.  
She couldn't keep it to herself forever, as her feelings on the matter were clearly never going to pass.  
When she still didn't answer, Starfire became even more concerned.

"Raven?  
You are worrying me."

This time, she quickly looked at her again, rushing to ease her mind.

"There's nothing to be worried about.  
I'm just...  
I need to..."

Her voice faded away; she nearly coughed up her heart in that sentence.  
Looking down, she slid one of her hands into the other in her lap, a faint tremble in her eyes.

"What is it?  
You need to...complete an errand?  
Oh!  
Are you ill?  
Do you need to throw up?"

Raven closed her eyes and sighed.

"No, Starfire, I don't need to throw up."

Actually, maybe she would feel better if she threw up.  
Just a thought.

"Oh.  
So what about complet--"

"I don't need to complete an errand.  
Starfire..."

What the hell -- she wanted to cry, just physically cry.  
Why did this have to involve her, why did it have to be like this?  
It wouldn't be so difficult if Starfire wasn't such a good and innocent person who lived her life trying to befriend and satisfy others, but she was, and she did.  
She was an exceedingly good friend, and while Raven had never said it out loud, she deeply appreciated her company and the level of interest she took in her life.  
When she spoke up again, she felt like she was going into a trance almost, like everything was just moving in waves.

"I have...been keeping something from you.  
Something...that I think is very bad.  
And as awful as I feel keeping it from you, I feel worse knowing I can't escape it.  
If experience has taught me anything, I know it would be better for me to tell you myself, before the secret finds a way to tell you on its own.  
So...before I tell you, I just want you to know that...I'm sorry..."

Starfire grew a swift and somewhat nauseating combination of curious, nervous and even a little protective.  
To her mind, what could be so bad?  
It couldn't have been any worse than Raven harboring her monster father within her, then literally birthing him into the world she loved and destroying it.  
Starfire watched as Raven's hands slid up her own arms slightly, and she leaned forward a little.  
It was clear she felt isolated, and from what she described, isolated in a torment that was partially her own creation.  
When Starfire spoke again, her confusion was very present, but not overwhelming.

"Raven, you are my dear friend, I am certain whatever this secret is cannot be so bad."

She offered her regards with a hopeful smile, seeking to comfort Raven in some way.  
Unfortunately, her tenderness and optimism was not received.

"I guess that'll be up to you.  
Look..."

This time, Raven turned to face Starfire all the way, one leg dangling over the edge of the bed while the other was bent, her foot pulled inward.  
Off and on she looked directly at Starfire, but couldn't maintain eye contact for too long.

"In the past few weeks, I've been feeling something...new.  
Something I tried to ignore or resist, or hoped would pass, but it's only getting worse."

Starfire nodded, doing her best to follow along.  
Her gem-like orbs were wide and alert, eagerly and anxiously awaiting the news.  
Raven lowered her voice substantially.

"I think...I think I'm...a-attracted to Robin..."

As soon as she said it she shut her eyes tight, bracing for a boisterous reaction, coupled with writhing from the sting of embarrassment over the confession.  
As the witch's blood ran cold and burning and her stomach churned in knots, Starfire immediately flew up with a flabbergasted squeak.  
The sound of her gasp was so sharp it actually pierced Raven's ears.  
Had inhaled any harder, she probably would've sucked all the oxygen out of the room.

"AAAH!  
Oh my gosh, Raven!!!"

Raven held her arms tight, tensing up and turning away from her; Starfire must have been devastated, she thought.

"I know, it's wrong!  
I'm so sorry, I'm s--"

"I cannot believe it!!!"

But what Raven couldn't see with her eyes closed, was that Starfire was actually beaming with joy.  
She'd done it!  
She'd managed to find out whether or not Raven had feelings for Robin, all while still keeping her promise!  
And best of all, Raven felt the same way for Robin as he felt for her!  
Starfire nearly rocketed up through the ceiling, as she was currently spinning in the air above the bed, flailing and squirming with joy.

"Glorious, simply glorious!"

...What?  
Raven took a moment to absorb the initial shock from her response before looking up.  
She'd gone pale, almost appearing sick.  
Still gripping her own arms as a means of security, her bewildered gaze met Starfire's dead on, when Starfire's weren't closed in glee.

"What?"

"You have the feelings for Robin!!!"

Raven sprang onto her knees on the bed, hands raised.

"NOT SO LOUD...!"

"EEK!"

Starfire quickly raised balled hands to her mouth and fell back onto the bed, practically shaking with exhilaration.  
Raven could only watch in what one could only describe as partial terror as Starfire bounced up and down excitedly on the bed, causing them both to rise and fall with the disturbed mattress.  
What in Azar's great garb was happening right now?  
She expected outrage and crying and sadness, or otherwise just flat-out depression or feelings of betrayal, but instead Starfire was...celebrating?  
Raven spoke with quick apprehension.

"I think I'm missing something here...  
Uh!"

Starfire quickly grabbed her hands, squeezing them (gently) and leaning in close.

"What is to miss?  
I am thrilled!"

"I can see that.  
Why?" She asked while leaning away nervously.

As Starfire opened her mouth to answer, she suddenly remembered the promise she'd kept to Robin.  
Now she had a secret.  
Was that ironic, or?  
She'd worry about that later.  
She smiled with her mouth agape for a moment more, then scrambled to find the right cover.

"U-Uh...  
Because, it is so seldom that you would partake interest in another person, or so that I could tell, because you are so good at hiding your emotions!"

She smiled big and nervous, giggling uneasily.  
Raven's fear turned to mild impatience, and it showed on her pale face.

"That's not it.  
Not all of it."

Starfire released Raven's hands, leaning away with her guilty smile subsiding.

"Ohh...I cannot tell you why..."

Now Raven was plain confused.

"And why is that."

"Because...well, because of a promise I am keeping to someone else."

"...Oookay.  
What kind of promise would keep you from being able to tell me why you're excited about me being...interested...in Robin...?"

"Mhh!  
It is...complicated?"

"I'm starting to doubt that."

There was another brief flash of lightning and distant thunder, which momentarily distracted them both.  
Raven was not going to let Starfire out of her sight until she had this all figured out.  
Just a minute ago, she was dying of guilt and feeling like she'd double-crossed her best friend, and now she was scraping for answers from Starfire over her own secret.  
How much messier could this get?  
Starfire sighed, looking away.

"It is...not so complicated...but -- I still made a promise, and I wish to keep it."

"I can respect that.  
So, who is the secret to?"

To reiterate, she was not letting Starfire go until she figured this out.  
Flustered and guilty and realizing now that this was all suddenly about to unravel, Starfire dove under the blankets, her butt sticking out from under it and into the air.

"I cannot say!"

"Saying who it's for isn't the same as breaking the promise, even if I figure it out.  
So, if you tell me who, and I figure out what the big deal is, you still kept your promise.  
Do you understand?"

There was a long silence.  
Amidst that, Starfire briefly rubbed the tip of her foot against the opposite ankle, scratching an itch to the best of her ability through her boot.  
Raven did have a point, but it still felt like she'd be doing wrong somehow.  
But before she agreed, she realized something; Raven had been apologizing to her.  
Eventually she sat up, slowly pulling the blanket off of her head.  
When their gazes met again, Starfire found herself overtaken by a growing tenderness.  
With hair slightly ruffled, she crawled back over to Raven and sat in front of her calmly.  
It was clear that her friend was awaiting an answer, but Starfire had her own question now.

"Raven...why are you sorry for finding Robin attractive?"

Looked like the spotlight was turned back on Raven.  
The sorceress leaned away from her slowly, then looked off at nothing.  
Unreadable, she calmly slumped sideways at a small angle.

"Because...you're my friend, and he's...your ex.  
I've never been the deep-into-friendship type, but I do believe in etiquette.  
Before you were together, and even before you broke up, I was never...interested in him that way.  
But now, it's like...I don't know how to explain it, but he's just...I-I'm interested in him.  
He's become...attractive, and I'm not sure if it's just because I know he's no longer involved with you, or...what it is.  
All I know is I've felt awful about it, because I respect you too much as a friend to do anything about it."

It was literally Robin all over again.  
At that moment, it finally occurred to Starfire that she was at the center of all of this, and that notion struck her as more surreal than anything.  
Also, she was deeply touched, because her two closest friends loved her so much, they would suffer through trying to resist feelings they had just to protect her, and maintain what they had with her.  
To Raven's next surprise, Starfire smiled, her eyes warm and exuberant.

"Oh Raven, you are such a very good friend."

"It doesn't feel that way.  
I feel like I've crossed a line..."

"I...disagree.  
Do you remember when you told me that if it is felt, it must flow?  
I do not want you to resist your emotions."

Raven had more feelings than she could count by this point.  
She remained silent, contemplative, trying to process all of this.  
She was deeply relieved that Starfire wasn't unhappy, but she also still didn't know why she was so excited, and who she made a promise to, or why.  
Starfire waited patiently, but when Raven never spoke up, the alien didn't hesitate any longer.  
She took a deep breath, drawing strength from within while settling on her decision boldly.

"I made a promise...to Robin, that...I would not tell you, or anyone, that he...has the feelings for you, too."

Whoa, whoa whoa whoa whoa.  
Did she hear her right?  
Raven rapidly blinked a few times before closing her eyes all together, blown away with that cache of information.

"I -- wait -- okay, hang on..."

Starfire pulled her lips in, quietly waiting for Raven to sort it all out.  
From the looks of it, they were going to be there a while.

"That's -- okay, so...Robin told you, that...he..."

"Has a crush on you, yes."

On the outside she just looked awe-struck, but on the inside it was a roller coaster.  
She spoke through breaths, teetering on the cusp of what she assumed was about to be an anxiety attack.

"What...what did he say...?"

Given the ambiguity of the question, Starfire decided to explain as much as she possibly could.  
Meanhwile, Raven sat breathing with her hand over her chest, trembling.

"Oh, he said that he had been having the feelings for you for a while, but that he too, tried to ignore them, because he also did not wish to hurt my feelings."

Still almost panting and barely comprehending all of this, Raven interrupted.

"And...your feelings...aren't hurt?"

"No.  
When I also told him no, he asked why.  
It does not hurt my feelings, because I only wish to see my friends happy.  
Robin and I did not succeed in dating, but if my two best friends were to date and succeed, and be happy, how could that make me unhappy?"

Raven sighed quietly through her nose, adrift in thought.  
She'd truly underestimated her friend before now; her generosity, her willingness to be happy as long as others were happy.  
As her wisdom had surprised Robin, so did her kindness surprise Raven.  
Her chest still heaved, but much more slowly as she eased.

"That's...extremely selfless of you...  
You didn't have to break your promise, either, you know."

Starfire nodded, smiling sadly.

"I am aware, but somehow I feel Robin will forgive me."

Taking a deep breath in, Raven finally managed to subdue the raging torrent of anxiety and emotions rippling through her innards.  
With a slow exhale, she looked at Starfire with her typical calm, put-together expression.  
She needed answers, and she could only get them if she remained under control.

"How long ago was this?"

"I believe it was...almost two weeks ago?"

Raven's eyes widened considerably.

"...Wow..."

"So, to sum up, Robin has the crush on you, and you have the crush on him!  
May you now converse and consider dating?"

"WHOA, uhhh, not quite there yet..."

Starfire recoiled.

"Oh?"

"No.  
I need...I need time.  
I have to think; I don't know how a conversation like that would even start, or where..."

"Oh...  
Well, how much time do you need?"

"I don't know," she breathed out.

Like Robin before her, she laid down on the bed, but on her side rather than her back, groaning in exasperation.

"It can't be too long, I realize that.  
I'm still, just...trying to wrap my head around it..."

She looked up at Starfire meekly, her tone synonymous to her appearance.  
She was shy and sort of wanted to crawl in a hole, but curiosity and the desire for answers somehow managed to overpower that.

"He...really is interested in me?"

"Mhm!  
Very much so!"

Raven rolled onto her back in a slight twist, laying her left arm above her head.  
Her voice was small, gentle.

"How did you figure that out?"

"Oh, I saw you two talking and he was behaving strangely."

"Strangely?"

"Oh yes!  
He had the jitters, and appeared frightened of you as he used to appear with me," she finished with a giggle.  
"So I pulled him into my room and we talked, and he told me about his feelings."

Raven studied her for a good long while, then just tilted her head away and closed her eyes.  
What were the odds that he'd been experiencing the same thing?  
And with that, how did she fail to see he was feeling this way?  
Had she been too busy concealing her own problems?  
Considering that, now seemed as good a time as ever to reflect on the past few weeks.  
He had seemed...off, to say the least.  
Nervous or uneasy, or sometimes overly lost in thought when she came around, and not to mention jumpy if she got too close.  
One time, she looked at him and could've sworn he was about to astral project.  
Once in a while he would be out of sorts in the past, but never around her, or on that level.  
Were those her hints?  
Maybe she'd just never realized those were signs of him being into her, because as far as she knew, no one ever had been interested in her.  
She was the wall flower, the girl who stayed back in the shadows, watching the other girls dance with the boys.  
From childhood, she gave up on the idea of finding a partner because of what she was to become, but now that that was over, she had a chance if she so desired.  
With each thing she recalled about Robin and their interactions, she even recalled that he felt...closer.  
She almost couldn't believe it.  
Finally she sat up slowly, keeping gentle in nature and ever so tender.

"I thought...something like this wasn't possible..."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not exactly the most sociable person, let alone the person anyone would want to..."

Starfire scooted closer to her.

"To be with, romantically?"

Receiving the brief blue-violet glance from her friend gave Starfire her answer.

"Oh, but Raven!  
There are so many features you possess that are attractive!"

Raven's expression fell flat and unconvinced.

"I'mmm not even going to ask what they are--"

"You are intelligent, and helpful, and while you do not excel at cooking, you are always there for us, and you're very pretty!"

That time, she blushed.

"I...I appreciate that, but the last time someone told me that I was pretty..."

Starfire placed a hand on her arm, reclaiming the fixation of her doubtful gaze.

"I am not the dragon Malchior, and neither is Robin.  
He likes you.  
I believe that if you two were to talk, it would be very beneficial."

Raven swallowed; her mouth felt dry.  
As sad and uncertain as she still was, Starfire's comforting words and encouragement put a light in her eyes she hadn't felt in a long time.

"What if...we aren't good for each other...?"

"You will never know unless you try, correct?"

Raven nodded once, slumping her head.  
She was right.

"Correct...  
Okay, I'll...talk to him this week, hopefully -- when the time is right.  
And I know you wanted to tell him that you broke your promise, but I think it'd be best to let me handle it.  
Like you said, he'll forgive you for it, but if you tell him "Hey, I broke your promise," he's going to ask why, and who you told, and you're going to end up having the same conversation we just had, only with more panic, and most likely a big confrontation in front of the guys or, God forbid, someone on the battlefield."

Holy run-on sentence, Batman.  
Starfire chuckled softly, then nodded in agreement.

"I hate to ask this of you, but...please don't say anything..."

"I am all right to hold onto one more secret," she said happily.

Raven finally allowed a genuine, grateful smile to settle on her face, amidst the sudden look of exhaustion.

"I appreciate it.  
I'll make it up to you.  
Maybe we could...try origami, like you wanted a while back."

Starfire's eyes beamed like jewels.

"Oh YES, yes yes YES!"

"Sounds like a plan."

They sat and talked for a little while longer as the thunder rolled in, the storm having come closer.  
It brought with it lightning and even heavier rain that beat against the window, but each time Starfire got startled by the flashes or booms she would laugh, because the spook was amusing to her.  
She suggested that the brothers Thunder and Lightning may have been up in the clouds, making their mighty music of nature.  
Raven agreed, still aglow, inconceivably grateful that she had this girl as a friend.  
They went on for an hour, mostly talking about Robin and her concerns, and then moving onto other subjects.  
The entire conversation really helped ease her mind, but the biggest obstacle had yet to come; the birds had talk.  
Starfire eventually made her way out of Raven's room.  
At her dismissal, Raven parted from her with a heartfelt "thank you."


	4. ""The Confrontation''

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big moment, the birds are finally gonna talk it out...without Starfire.  
> Quick note, if you've made it this far, i just want you to know that i am exceedingly grateful.  
> Thank you for your maturity, attention, and praise, i love ya! <3

Less than a week had passed since Starfire's talk with Raven.  
Yet again, the Tamaranean princess had maintained her second secret, which she bore no hard feelings about.  
She knew that the price was well worth the reward, and prayed it went as well as it could go.  
As anxious as she was over the matter, her nerves were perfectly stable compared to Raven's.  
The goth had been waiting patiently for the right time, which would most easily come when Robin was alone.  
Thankfully, he was alone often enough, but the catch was that he was usually busy or had his head in some sort of work.  
Training didn't feel like the best time to catch him, either.  
And then, she caught a break; he had been alone, cleaning his room, and Raven found him.  
She approached him to talk, but as soon as they started to have an actual conversation (unrelated to the big topic), trouble arose and they had to go fight.  
Needless to say, Raven's chances had been thwarted for the night, but it wasn't fruitless.  
In approaching him, she'd made a point to not focus so hard on controlling her own emotions, so as to feel out Robin's.  
Starfire had been telling the truth; on the inside, he was most definitely flustered around her, much to her relief.  
It was one thing to suffer liking someone, but it was another to like someone without reciprocity.  
Suffice it to say this gave her a little confidence, but Lord only knew how he would respond when they finally spoke.

Robin was none the wiser to the girls and their secrets.  
Starfire did indeed learn that Raven liked him, but she also broke her promise (by choice), thus she decided not to tell him anything.  
As far as he knew, Starfire hadn't learned anything, but she trusted Raven to sort it all out.  
Thankfully, he wouldn't have to remain in the dark for long, for Raven was quick, and knew of other good times to catch him.  
Experience had taught her well.

It was early morning -- very early morning.  
The sun's bright light hadn't yet risen over the earth, but the dawn was a deep blue.  
With the promise of a new day, Raven found herself filled with hope.  
She sat with her legs crossed on top of the tower, looking out at the ocean as the sun took its time creeping along.  
The deep sapphire of the sky was enchanting, to say the least.  
Robin didn't come out every morning, of course, but she knew how he loved the sunrise, and that previously stated promise that came with it.  
It was like he just woke up grateful every morning, just for the new day coming to him.  
In spite of his pain, in spite of what he'd endured, he faced each day like it would be his last.  
How could anyone resist a person so optimistic, so full of love and passion?  
It was overwhelmingly endearing, and gave Raven even more anticipation to see him and that sharp smile greet the rising sun.  
God Almighty, the idea of seeing him possibly walk up soon put butterflies in her stomach -- huge butterflies.  
Like...butterflies on steroids.  
She never did throw up as she had once considered, but who has to time to just make themselves puke.  
Besides, not like it would change anything.

Twenty minutes passed.  
She'd gotten up and waited so early on purpose, just to give herself time to mentally prepare.  
There was also a distinct possibility that him coming to her would give her more confidence, so long as he didn't see her on top of the tower and then bail out of nerves.  
But Robin wouldn't do that, right?  
He wouldn't just chicken out and run off.  
Had that happened, he'd never have had a previous girlfriend.  
Although, with Raven, Robin almost seemed...worse.

When the sky finally started converting to a deep orange, and then pink, and then the sun broke the horizon, Raven stood.  
It was almost like a solute to the dawn, though it had good reason.  
She was ready.  
As anticipated, she heard the roof door open, the sound causing her heart to flutter as she drew in a deep breath.  
Although the instinct was to turn around and look at him, she kept still, staring off at the sunrise.  
A gentle breeze rolling in off the ocean tussled her hair, blowing her cape back softly.  
Robin didn't notice her right away.  
He made his way over to the usual place he stood at whenever he watched the sunrise, but as he approached he quickly realized Raven was standing there, and paused.  
What was she doing there?  
He seldom saw her outside this early, and when she was there, usually it was important, or she had something on her mind.  
The Boy Wonder took a moment to gather himself, assuring himself internally that it would be fine, and walked up with a shy smile on his face.

"Morning," he said.

Raven took a moment of her own to calm down, and replied in identical gentleness, even looking at him.

"Morning."

"You're out here early."

"Yeah...  
I'm not much of a sunrise person, but I...felt the need to see this one."

Robin wondered if he could change that; turn her to watch the sunrise with him more often.  
Oh -- come on, when would that ever happen?  
To his mind, he was still entirely on his own.  
Standing next to her, usually he would be nervous, but at the moment he was substantially more calm than he had been.  
Maybe it was because Raven herself was soothed, eased by the time she'd had to prepare for this moment, and he could feel it.  
There was a peace, a sensation of mutuality he couldn't place.  
When he'd looked at her, it was impossible not to notice the way the light illuminated her strikingly unique hair.  
Her eyes took light and converted it to blue-violet crystals, shining it back into him.  
Dark lips contrasted the lightening sky, and her fair skin.  
She was just something else, that was for certain; something spectacular.  
Robin chuckled in response to her.

"Some days just feel special.  
I actually haven't been up here in a couple days."

"Too tired?"

"Something like that."

He was reluctant to weigh the beauty of the morning down with an admission of him having had nightmares about Slade recently.  
It had been steadily getting worse as weeks passed, but like with many things, he tried to ignore it.  
Maybe it would pass.  
Either way, he figured he wouldn't have too much time alone with Raven, and since he wasn't panicking he chose to remain happy, and enjoy it.  
Raven could sense he was keeping a secret, but didn't pry.  
She had an agenda.  
A short bit of silence passed between them.  
Granted, it was awkward, but it was all the time Raven needed to muster up the strength to finally confront him.  
It was now or never, and there was not time to waste.  
She spoke softly as usual, but there was a seriousness within it that held Robin's full attention.

"I've been needing to talk to you."

"Oh, is something wrong?"

"Not...necessarily..."

Hopefully it wasn't wrong, but that would all hang on his response.  
Her heart started to pick up the pace, the anxiety building itself up in a sinister trickle, but she held it down.  
Robin turned more toward her, leaning a little to try and see her face better, but Raven remained facing the sea.

"I have a request of you."

"What's that?"

Finally, she looked at him.

"You have to not panic when I say this."

His heart started sinking.  
He knew there was something off about her being up there so early, but he nodded.

"I'll...do my best.  
What's going on?"

"...I know that Starfire made a promise to you, and I pushed her into breaking it."

A hot chill ran all through Robin's body, nearly draining the color from his flesh.  
Now he had anxiety, and Raven could feel it.  
He just stared at her, mask stretched as his eyes were wide, body rigid.  
She gave him time to muster up a response, but his mouth never even opened.  
She knew he was beyond uncomfortable, shocked, embarrassed, and so much more.  
How the -- what the -- why didn't Starfire tell him?  
How long ago did this happen?  
Oh God, Raven must've thought he was a freak, a sick little man who couldn't keep control of himself or who he took interest in.  
"You're a pig," he could hear her saying in his head.  
What other word was there?!  
Inside he just kept panicking, every bad thought and self-loathing idea thickening and rising up into his throat.  
WHY, God, WHY was she so good at hiding her thoughts and feelings?!?  
WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?!  
Raven turned to face him all the way.

"I know that you...have...feelings, for me," she trailed out in a near-whisper.

She raised her hands up to her stomach, holding them together shyly.  
Again, she waited for Robin to say something, but after so long it occurred to her that he wasn't even breathing anymore.  
Great, now he was gonna die.

"Robin, breathe!"

Quickly she laid a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of it.  
He gasped and jumped back a little, having to fight to catch his breath.

"O-oh God, ohhh my God..."

Raven's expression saddened.  
She felt bad for him, realizing she was the cause of this, but it had to start somehow.

"Robin--"

He hid his face in his hands, his face turning beat red.

"Raven, I...I-I'm so sorry, I know it's ridiculous.  
You probably think I'm a freakin' pig..."

At this, she tilted her head, calmly studying him, perplexed.  
What a bizarre thing to assume.

"Why would I think that?"

His head slumped, but he kept a hand on the top of his head, gripping his hair with a few fingers loosely.  
He'd become a wreck, his face burning all the way into this ears.  
Raven noticed the mild tremble that had begun, too.  
Man, nerves really sucked.

"Because, I mean...there was Starfire, and then I...  
I start..."

"You start paying attention to the only other girl in the house?"

Again, his face fell into his hands.

"I swear on my life, I have no idea why, I -- I've tried to not think about it, I've--"

"Robin, I don't think you're a pig, and there's nothing wrong with you."

He just sighed to himself, never looking up.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, either."

"Agree to disagree," he muttered.

Raven couldn't help but to smile as she watched him drown in his own personal hell of emotions.  
She felt for the guy, she truly did, but her confidence had only built that much more.  
Her heart started to pang, she was so ready to just come out with it, and free herself.  
Ripping it off like a band aid was proving to have been the best method after all, and she was proud of herself for not beating around the bush.

"Very well, but you should know that...I-I've been...having similar...feelings...."

Robin couldn't have possibly looked up any slower at her.  
Raven's face started to turn pink as she pursed her lips in, looking away shyly.  
Did he hear that right?

"So...wait..."

Her eyes tilted up to him, with her now the one looking nervous.

"When you say, similar thoughts--"

"I-I like you," she said quickly while shutting her eyes tight.  
"You've been interested in me, and I've been interested in you.  
Starfire and I talked the other night because I confessed to her that I was feeling this way, then I pushed her into telling me that she knew you'd felt the same..."

"...You told Starfire?"

Raven looked up with an exasperated expression, temporarily broken from her shyness.

"Really, that's what you're taking from this?"

Robin scrambled.

"Sorry -- I -- my mind's all over the place..."

He rubbed his face with his hands quickly, then stood with a hand on his hip and the other on his forehead, drawing in a deep breath.

"I really thought...  
I really thought I was being an idiot...  
How long have you...?"

Raven withdrew herself, tender and meek.  
Awww, she was so cute -- STOP THAT.  
Focus.

"To be honest, I've always thought you were...attractive, by definition, but I never felt any certain way about it.  
But in the past few weeks, I've found myself...noticing you, if...if that makes sense."

Both of them suddenly started to feel more at ease, though still shy and reserved.  
That mutuality Robin had felt earlier was starting to make more sense to him.  
The panic he'd been suffering was finally subsiding, comfort and curiosity taking its place.  
Could this really work?  
Was this going to happen?  
Robin and Raven, a couple?  
No, not a couple; that was way too...simple.  
By the way, she just said she'd always thought he was attractive.  
He was flattered deeply, but didn't let it go to his head.

"It does.  
I spent a lot of time chasing Starfire, and I don't regret anything, but I like to think it was...a good thing that I wasn't paying attention to...anyone else."

"That says a lot about who you are, and it's something else I like in you.  
You're loyal."

He smiled, again, flattered, but there was a new concern that made its way in, taking his smile.

"Raven, we're...really close.  
As a friend, I love about you, and I really care about you.  
If we were to...get involved, and it didn't work out..."

"I've thought about that, too, but I think we're stronger than any of our greatest differences.  
This isn't something that's going to go away.  
We can't ignore it, we can't change it.  
The only thing that's going to satisfy it, is to try."

Robin knew that was true, given he'd been like this for about two months now.  
He took a minute to think it through.  
They were close, they had a lot in common, and dating would mean spending more time together.  
But even if they had disagreements, they'd lived in close quarters for a long time, so they already knew what they did and didn't like as far as basics went.  
They were both spiritual in some way, they thought very similarly, but had enough differences to just lock together.  
As far as he could see, if it didn't work, it would most likely end just like it did with Starfire.  
Depressing as it was to consider what could go wrong, this was something wise to take into consideration, and Raven had long thought the same thing.  
Difference was, she'd already talked to someone else, and concluded that she'll never know what could be if she never tried.

"I know...  
And you know what?  
I'd...really like to give...us, a try, if...if you'd...if you think we..."

"I don't want us to do what we think we should do.  
I want us to do...what we want to do."

Without knowing it, they'd gradually moved a little closer together.

"Well...what do you want to do?"

"I want to try..."

Spoken with a smile, but soon after she briefly bit her lip, and recoiled again.  
Robin's head tilted to the left at a slight angle, trying to see her face better.

"That's a good thing, right?"

"It is, it's just that...I've never been in a relationship before.  
To be honest, no one's ever been interested in me before..."

"Ah.  
Well...their loss."

The sorceress looked at him with hopeful eyes, filled with light from the rising sun.  
He really meant this, didn't he.  
She was touched, but also terrified at her core.  
She'd hardly comprehended the fact that they wanted the same things and that it was about to actually happen.  
It was dream-like, surreal.

"There's so much I like about you, and every day I find something new to like.  
Besides the fact that we tend to see things the same way, you're always there for me -- for everyone.  
You're warm in your own way, you're independent, strong, and I've always loved your sense of humor, even though it's dry.  
You're just...you're -- I mean, you're special.  
You're beautiful..."

That last sentence rolled off his tongue with less confidence than the rest of them, sending him into a small fluster.  
He rubbed the back of his neck, a big, shy smile sprawling across his pink face.  
Raven's eyes sparkled.  
The last time someone called her beautiful, they took advantage of her, lied to her, broke her heart.  
Knowing that, it scared her.  
But they had a bond, Raven knew him, and she knew he would never do anything bad to her.  
Seeing her struck expression and how she looked off with wide, uncertain eyes, something came over Robin.  
It was protective, gentle.  
He moved a tad closer and laid a hand on her shoulder, causing her to startle and look up at him, then away swiftly.  
Now she was feeling more flustered.  
Would the back and forth ever end?  
It was like they were playing handball with emotions.

"I mean that.  
Nothing has to be forced, nothing has to change.  
We just...spend more time together, talk more, learn more.  
You said it yourself, we only have to do what we want to, not what we think we should.  
Right?"

Raven struggled to clear her throat, but never answered verbally.  
Instead she just nodded quickly, large blue-violet orbs flickering around the contours of his face.  
She really wished she could see his eyes right at that moment, but accepted that she couldn't.  
With the physical contact, small as it was, she could feel the warmth in him that she'd been craving.  
A light, a tender something, something indescribable.  
Holy crap, if they dated this meant they could flirt, and tell each other how attractive they thought they were, and just be completely open and honest.  
They could...touch more...  
She wanted that more than she could express.

"Raven?"

"I-'m...nervous..."

"Me too."

"...What do we tell the others?"

Robin pulled back, rubbing his forehead thoughtfully.  
Suddenly feeling vulnerable without his hand, Raven gently gripped the edges of her hood, ever so shy.

"Yeah, them, uh...  
Well Starfire's going to figure it out -- INSTANTLY, because apparently she can smell this stuff."

"Right, there's that.  
Should we just pull her aside and...?"

"Hmmm...eeeeeiiiiiiiii don't know, geeze..."

They both took a moment to think.  
Eventually, Raven took charge, feeling a need to stir the pot.

"I think we should tell Starfire, and just let the others figure it out on their own.  
I'm not...ashamed of anything, I just want some privacy."

"No!  
No I get it, I want the same thing.  
Heh, keeping a low profile might actually be kind of fun."

At that, Raven raised a brow and smirked at him.

"Doing things under everyone else' nose?  
Definitely.  
But when they do find out..."

"They'll adjust."

"Yeah...  
The part that I was most concerned about was Starfire."

"Me too, but she told me she...actually wanted this.  
Did she say that to you?"

"You mean, when I told her I was having feelings for you, did she almost cartwheel through my ceiling?  
Yeah, she supports it."

"Hahah!"

When they got to talking, everything felt so natural and right.  
Smooth.  
They exchanged warm smiles as Robin kept chuckling, beaming.

"Aw, damn, I -- sorry, I'm at a loss for words.  
Can I hug you?  
Or something?  
I know that isn't...your thing, but--"

To his surprise, Raven brought the hug to him.  
When her arms wrapped around him he froze, but it didn't take long for him to return the sentiment.  
Both arms came around her, embracing her with warmth.  
Raven just melted, feeling so comfortable and happy and relieved, and so many other incredible feelings.  
She wasn't even sure how this was supposed to start, but she didn't care; she just wanted to live in this moment for a while.  
Robin glanced at the door, double checking their privacy, but it didn't keep his attention long.  
He was giddy, and felt so right getting to hold her in his arms.  
He remembered a little while back she was sad about something, and he wished to comfort her, but he couldn't.  
Now, nothing could stop him from comforting her, if she'd let him.  
Once Raven realized that she was actually finally getting to hug him and be hugged, her nerves riled up a slight.  
Robin felt it and brought a hand up to the middle of her back.

"Hahahah, still nervous?"

"...Yep..."

"Me too," he said with a chuckle.

They pulled away and looked at each other, each colored over with dewy eyes and pink cheeks.

"All right, how are we going to handle this?"

"I'm thinking we go find Starfire and talk to her, then do breakfast, and do our best to act normal.  
Then maybe later if we can get away, we can go hang out."

"I like it.  
...You mean, you'll do your best, since I always look normal."

He stuck his tongue out at her playfully with a "myeh," earning a grin and the smallest chuckle she could afford to let slip.  
Feeling so strongly about him, she wished she could let those feelings loose to the fullest extent and truly express herself, but as far as she knew that would never be.  
Hopefully he could learn to live with that part of her, given he already understood it.  
What she didn't know was that in time, she would no longer have to live that way, but that was another story to be told.  
They walked back inside, talking about other, more typical things, while looking at each other notably more than usual.  
They were going to have to try really hard not to do that while sneaking around.  
But first, they had to tell Starfire.  
Given she'd already supported the idea of them being together, when they told her it had actually happened, there was no doubt she would just about explode with joy.  
Perhaps it would be best if they weren't inside or anywhere near their house when they told her.

 

\---End---


End file.
